FREE Heart of a Hall of Famer Series: Paul Krause

Our character education series Heart of a Hall of Famer continues with a video conference on Monday March 26, 2012 at 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM ET. Join Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Paul Krause as he talks about the traits that made him one of the game's greatest. Krause played in eight Pro Bowls and retired as the NFL’s all-time career interception leader with 81. Krause who has been involved with a number of various business ventures is currently a Dakota County Commissioner in the state of Minnesota.  

This is an interactive program and is limited to six schools at each time slot and unlimited view only. Test connections will take place on Friday March 23, 2012 at 10:00 AM ET. The program is designed for grades 6th-12th and is FREE of charge. These spots will fill quickly so act fast. 

For more information or if you are interested in registering, please contact our Education Department at EducationalPrograms@profootballhof.com
 

FREE Special Distance Learning Program "Kids and Cyberbullying: A Discussion for Students, Teachers and the Community"

Cyberbullying continues to be a means of harassment using online tools.  The cyberbully may post embarrassing images, information or gossip about another individual on various social networking sites as well as email, instant messaging, and message boards or forums. As with any type of bullying, the activity is aimed at undermining the confidence of the victim and creating suffering for reasons that are usually not apparent to anyone but the bully.

Join us for an interactive presentation with community experts on cyberbullying and how to educate yourself, your students and the community about this increasing social networking problem.  Hosted by United States Attorney Stephen Dettelbach, the program is FREE to all schools and is sponsored by the US Attorney for Northeast Ohio & the Anti-Defamation League with funds provided by the Microsoft Corporation.

            Program: “Kids and Cyberbullying: A Discussion for Students, Teachers and the Community”

Date:  Thursday, March 22^nd

            Time:  10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Please share the above information with your administrators and teachers.  Schools interested in participating in this distance learning opportunity should contact my office by March 19th.

Schools are also invited to bring student to the Idea Center to sit as the studio audience.  Please contact me by March 14th if you would like to bring students to the program.

Thank you.

John R. Ramicone

Distance Learning Director

john.ramicone@ideastream.org

t-216-916-6360

f-216-916-6361

Grade 8-12 "PRELUDE to the HOLOCAUST"

“Prelude to the Holocaust” is a videoconference that describes how Hitler's Nazi Party acted against the Jews, first by stirring up anti-Semitism, then by actively persecuting them, and eventually moving to the mass murder of millions of Jews and others in Hitler's "Final Solution."

Students will analyze the impact of "Kristallnacht" or “ Night of Broken Glass” . They will study the reasons why Jews were singled out by Hitler and the Nazis. Students will explore the ideas the Nazis had about race and how people around the world responded to the Nazis' racial policies.

“Prelude to the Holocaust” looks at the wider picture of life in Nazi-controlled Europe at a time when a person's nationality or religious, cultural, or political beliefs could mean imprisonment and even death. This videoconference gives details about the impact of Nazi rule on every aspect of daily life, from work to leisure time, and looks at how the lives of men, women, and children were affected.

"PRELUDE to the HOLOCAUST" on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM (Central time) in WITNESSES and VOICES of the HOLOCAUST series

REGISTER online:  http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/registration.htm

COST:  $75 for each videoconference session.  

FORMAT:  45 minutes in length.  Format is 25-30  minutes presentation and then 15-20 minutes for question and answer session.

Rationale for Holocaust studies:

We must never forget the Holocaust because no one is free of the dangerous desire that lay at the root of the Holocaust to divide humanity into groups and categories.

"First they came…" is a famous statement attributed to pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.
The text of Niemöller’s quotation is:
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

It is often said “Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” (George Santayana 1863-1952) But it is equally true for those who will not face the human tendency to divide humanity into groups and categories and allow this division to develop into specific and targeted fear and hatred which soon escalates out of control.

Heart of a Hall of Famer Series: Chris Hanburger

Our character education series Heart of a Hall of Famer continues with a video conference on Thursday March 15, 2012 at 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM ET. Join Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Chris Hanburger as he talks about the traits that made him one of the game's greatest. Hanburger was selected first-team All-NFL four times and was a nine-time Pro Bowler from the Washington Redskins.  After his playing career Hanburger was a successful business man as the Owner/Operator of Chris Hanburger Ford in Maryland.   

This is an interactive program and is limited to six schools at each time slot and unlimited view only. Test connections will take place on Wednesday March 14, 2012 at 10:00AM ET. The program is designed for grades 6th-12th and is FREE of charge. These spots will fill quickly so act fast. 

For more information or if you are interested in registering, please contact our Education Department at EducationalPrograms@profootballhof.com 

Gr 5-12 Breaking the Color Barrier

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 29 - "Breaking the Color Barrier" – in the Black History Month series


Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of African-American life in the United States and the changes on their social structure through time. They will learn how individual  African-Americans broke through many color barriers.

Presenter: Howard Gentry, Metro Nashville Criminal Court clerk;  former Vice Mayor . . .the first African-American Vice Mayor in Nashville

Target Audience: Grades 5-12

Lesson Plan: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/programs/a-a-history/breakingcolorbarrier.htm

TIME: Two sessions: one at 9:00 AM CENTRAL TIME and one at 10:00 AM CENTRAL TIME

REGISTER online for all videoconferences:  http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/registration.htm

COST:   $75 for each videoconference session.  

FORMAT:  45 minutes in length.  Format is 25-30  minutes presentation and then 

15-20 minutes for question and answer session. 

OBJECTIVES

Students will:

• Discover how skin color affected social status in the United States
• Realize the difficulties in breaking color barriers
• Learn some of the effects on individuals breaking the color barrier
• Determine why African-Americans organized their own institutions (churches, civic and social organizations)                                                                                                                                       
• Gain knowledge of some social, economic, and political gains made by African Americans in last 50 years

PRE-ACTIVITIES

1. Ask students what they think the word barriermeans. Guide them to define barrier as: a problem or obstacle that stops you from moving forward.
2. Tell students that barriers can be physical or conceptual. Explain that a physical barrier is something you see, such as a fence. A conceptual barrier is something that you can’t see, such as being afraid of something.
3. As a class, ask students to suggest different barriers that people face. Ask students to explain why each barrier prevents people from moving forward or accomplishing something. Create a list of suggested barriers on the board.
4. After barriers have been written on the board, ask students to choose three of the barriers from the list. Instruct them to write a short paragraph for each barrier explaining how they themselves would face and overcome it.
5. Ask students to read their paragraphs aloud. Encourage students to ask one another questions about the barriers they have chosen.

LESSON
Introductory Activities
Objective: To help students understand segregation and what it felt like.
First, randomly separate students into two groups, called the Stars and the Stripes.
Began the lesson by giving the students a diecut of a star or a rectangle with stripes on it, so I could see who belonged in what group.  Next, I gave each Star a cookie, and allowed them to eat it. One of my students asked if the Stripes got a cookie too. I just said no, and ate a cookie myself. The Stars gathered around the computer screen when I was teaching and were allowed to sit in chairs and the Stripes had to sit on the floor.

I then explained that we were going to learn about segregation through a series of activities where the Stars were going to have certain privileges, but the Stripes would not. The Stars were allowed to sit in the front of the room at desks and were given extra instruction, while the Stripes had to sit in the back of the room with just a chair and a white board to use as a writing surface. They were given worksheets to do without any instructions. When the Stars were finished with their assignment, they were allowed to go to centers, while the Stripes were given extra worksheets. At this point, I asked the Stripes how it felt to not be allowed to do the same things as the Stars. I then explained that after lunch, the Stripes would get the privileges while the Stars would not.

To make the point, the groups had to line up separately, with the Stripes in front and the Stars in the back. At recess, the Stripes were allowed on the playground, while the Stars had to stay on the grass. The Stripes were allowed to use the restrooms inside the building, while the Stars had to use the restrooms by the portables. They were also told that if they needed to use the restroom, they had to change their cards. We also had a math facts challenge, but the Stripes were given the answers ahead of time so they all got the answers correct. To have a deeper impact, I separated the friends into separate groups, and did not allow them to associate with the other group: Stars could only talk to stars, Stripes only with Stripes.

To close the lesson, we discussed how it felt to be the group who got the privileges, and how it felt to be left out. I explained that the Whites Only signs could easily have read Stars Only or Stripes Only. My students asked why there were no Blacks Only signs, which I explained was not necessary because if the signs read Whites Only, the blacks could not eat or drink there, or sit there. If they did, they were arrested. One student asked what would happen if they were a Star, but their parents were Stripes. I explained that if you were a Star, your parents would also be Stars because you could only associate with people who were the same as you. I had the students complete a Venn diagram thinking map to compare and contrast the activities, and how it felt to be privileged or not privileged.

On the back, I had the students write down their thoughts on segregation, and to also let me know whether they were a Star or a Stripe. We closed the lesson by saying that the stars and Stripes were chosen because they are the symbols of our country's flag, and that both had to be united to form the American flag.

The comments by the students were profound. They felt that segregation was unfair, and that people shouldn't be treated differently because of the color of their skin. The children definitely felt and understood the impact of segregation through these activities, where they wouldn't have if they had just listened to the story.

LESSON

Discussion

Step back in time before the mid-1950's in the United States . Experience through this videoconference the amazing, historic, and terrifying time when schools for African American children were described as "equal" with those schools of white children. . . .but they were NOT. Think about what it would have felt like to be an African American student in an American school in the 1950's. . . think about being a student who was intelligent, hard-working, and African American.

Think what it was like to have good teachers in your all-African American school but nothing else quite as good as in the white students' schools. Schools were often freezing in the winter. School books were old and worn and often “passed down” to the African American schools when the white schools discarded their books. Lab equipment was outdated or non-existent.

Life in America before the 1950’s and for much of the 1950’s and 1960’s was segregation. It was two worlds that were afraid of each other. Racial segregation was the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life.  It applied to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a bath room, attending school, going to the movies, or the rental or purchase of a home. There were separate schools for blacks and whites, separate restaurants, separate hotels, separate drinking fountains and separate baseball teams. Life was unkind to black people who tried to bring those worlds together. It could be hateful.

On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled that separate public schools were illegal and the lives of African American students changed forever! In the case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote "We conclude that the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that African Americans were "fighting for generations not yet born" when they participated in marches demanding the rights of African-American children to get the same education as white children.

Discussion in this videoconference will include many areas where the color barrier was broken or moved during this time of cultural transition in the United States . Join Howard Gentry as he shares stories of his life growing up in a much different Nashville than exists today. As an African-American child, he was not allowed to enter many of the places that are now Nashville landmarks: Elliston Place Soda Shop, the first Krystal restaurant downtown, and even Centennial Park .  But Gentry heeded the words of his father (a Tennessee State University legend head coach of football and Athletics Director). . . . . . that ONE day, things for African Americans would eventually be better.

Howard Gentry served as the first African-American ever elected Vice Mayor in Nashville ,Tennessee. His election as Vice Mayor was evidence that qualified African Americans can be elected to major leadership positions regardless of race, gender or background, and that qualified African-Americans can depend on citywide voting support as well as votes from the African American community.

Today, Howard Gentry is currently serving as the CEO, Nashville Chamber of Commerce Public Benefit Foundation.

POST-ACTIVITIES

1.  In 1949, two years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, he and three others (Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, and Larry Doby) became the first-ever African-American players selected for an MLB All-Star Game. How is this achievement a result of Jackie Robinson’s earlier achievement? (Answers might include: Breaking barriers can open doors for others to follow.)

2.  Have students research a figure from the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s–’60s and report on barriers he or she broke.

3.  Engage students to research and discuss contemporary examples of individuals who have broken barriers, and values that they relied upon in facing barriers. For example, in November 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-American to be elected President of the United States. What values are important in serving as a leader?

4.  Encourage students to conduct interviews with family and friends to discuss any barriers they have faced, as well as values they have called upon to overcome these barriers.

NATIONAL STANDARDS

LANGUAGE ARTS: EnglishGRADES K - 12NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for PerspectiveNL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication StrategiesNL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying KnowledgeNL-ENG.K-12.7 Evaluating DataNL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research SkillsNL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural UnderstandingNL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills

MATHEMATICS: CommunicationsGRADES Pre-K - 12NM-COMM.PK-12.2 Communicate Their Mathematical Thinking Coherently and Clearly to Peers, Teachers, and Others NM-COMM.PK-12.4 Use the Language of Mathematics to Express Mathematical Ideas Precisely

MATHEMATICS: ConnectionsGRADES Pre-K - 12NM-CONN.PK-12.3 Recognize and Apply Mathematics in Contexts Outside of Mathematics

SOCIAL SCIENCES: GeographyGRADES K - 12NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial Terms

SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. HistoryGRADES K - 4NSS-USH.K-4.3 The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage NSS-USH.K-4.4 The History of Peoples of Many Cultures Around the WorldGRADES 5 - 12NSS-USH.5-12.2 Era 2: Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763) NSS-USH.5-12.3 Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)NSS-USH.5-12.4 Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861) NSS-USH.5-12.5 Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877) NSS-USH.5-12.6 Era 6: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)NSS-USH.5-12.7 Era 7: The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930) NSS-USH.5-12.8 Era 8: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)NSS-USH.5-12.9 Era 9: Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s) NSS-USH.5-12.10 Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present)

TECHNOLOGYGRADES K - 12NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and ConceptsNT.K-12.3 Technology Productivity ToolsNT.K-12.4 Technology Communications ToolsNT.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools

Grades 7-12 PARTIES and PLATFORMS of Democrats and Republicans

What is a Democrat? What is a Republican? What do they individually stand for? American politics is dominated primarily by the Democratic and the Republican parties. Both parties differ greatly in their philosophies and ideals.

This videoconference and lesson plan focuses on comparing and contrasting the Republican and Democratic parties and their platforms. In this lesson, students will examine political parties and their role in the U.S. political system. Our presenters will examine current issues of the presidential election and describe their party’s platforms on such issues as the Economy, National Security, Education, Immigration, Health Care, and many more. “PARTIES and PLATFORMS” is the Virtual School’s study of political parties and their platforms. American political parties are organized on a national, state, and local basis.

PARTIES

Political parties are key players in American politics, but the Constitution does not mention political parties. In fact, many of the founders, including George Washington, distrusted permanent political parties, fearing that they would become too powerful.

American political parties differ from those in many countries, where parties are often organized to promote a particular political or economic ideology such as socialism, communism, fascism, or capitalism. Other political parties may represent a given economic interest such as labor or farmers. Some political parties have been organized to promote a religious group or interest.

In contrast, American political parties are generally not ideological. Instead, they are made up of a loose collaboration of interests that want to win the next election. While the parties might differ on the issues, they seek to appeal to the widest possible spectrum of the electorate.

PLATFORMS and PLANKS

Every four years, the political parties hold a national convention to nominate a presidential and vice presidential candidate. They also meet to approve a party platform of issues and positions upon which the candidates will run.

A party platform is a set of principles, goals, and strategies designed to address pressing political issues. Each party's platform is broken down into “planks,” or declarations that speak to each specific issue.

A party platform usually is a list of support for, or opposition to, controversial topics. Individual topics are often called planks of the platform.

Party platforms and their planks are very important to the electoral process. They give the candidates a clear political position with which they can campaign. They give voters a sense of what the candidates believe in, the issues they think are important, and how, if elected, they will address them.

REGISTER  for “PARTIES and PLATFORMS of Democrats and Republicans” videoconference on THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012.

Presenters are  Larry Woods - for the Democratic Party; and Adam Nickas - for the Republican party

REGISTER online for all videoconferences:  http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/registration.htm

COST:   $75 for each videoconference session.  

FORMAT:  45 minutes in length.  Format is 25-30  minutes presentation and then 15-20 minutes for question and answer session.

Target Audience: Grades 5-12

Lesson Plan: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/programs/election08/partiesandplatforms.htm

TIME: Two sessions: one at 9:00 AM CENTRAL TIME and one at 10:00 AM CENTRAL TIME

FREE to NORT2H Members "Practical Implications of the Debt Ceiling Level"

Erskine B. Bowles, President Emeritus of the University of North Carolina since January 2011, Senior Advisor to Carousel Capital since 2002 and Co-Chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform since February 2010 will be our special guest for the February 27 Town Hall Speaker’s program. 

In 1993, Bowles was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as director of the Small Business Administration, and later was tapped to serve as deputy White House chief of staff (1994‐95) and White House chief of staff (1996‐98). As chief of staff, he helped negotiate the first balanced budget in a generation. As a member of the National Economic Council and National Security Council, he helped guide domestic and foreign policy. In prior service as deputy White House chief of staff, Bowles helped direct the government’s response to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. After he left the White House, he also served from 1999 to 2001 as a general partner of Forstmann Little, a New York‐based private equity firm.

He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004, and currently serves on the boards of Morgan Stanley and Cousins Properties.

Program:   Erskine B. Bowles                                        

Topic: "Practical Implications of the Debt Ceiling Level” 

Date: Monday, February 27, 2012  

Time:  1:00-2:00 p.m. 

• President Obama appointed Bowles co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal 
  Responsibility and Reform in 2010 
• President of the multi-campus University of North Carolina (2001-10) 
• Founded and served as chairman and CEO of the Charlotte-based investment 
  banking firm that became Bowles Hollowell Connor & Co. 
• Appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as director of the Small Business 
  Administration, then as deputy White House chief of staff (1994-95) and White House 
  chief of staff (1996-98) 
• Appointed United Nations deputy special envoy to 13 tsunami-affected countries in 
  Southeast Asia (2005)

Transmission Modes:  NOTA and the eTech Ohio IP Network 

Schools interested in participating in this educational opportunity should contact John 

Ramicone at 216-916-6360 or john.ramicone@ideastream.org by February 23rd.   

   

A program fee of $75.00 will be charged to schools not in the NOTA or NORT2H member 

districts.  Please process a purchase order to WVIZ/PBS Distance Learning, c/o John 

Ramicone, 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland 44115 and fax a copy or the p. o. number to 216-

916-6361. 

For additional information on Erskine Bowles please see: 

http://www.gatewayurp.com/documents/SpeakerBiographies.pdf

Heart of a HOFer: Harry Carson (FREE)

Our character education series Heart of a Hall of Famer continues with a video conference on Friday March 9, 2012 at 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM EST.  Join Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson as he talks about the traits that made him one of the game's greatest.  Carson, a ferocious run stopper, was selected to play in nine Pro Bowls with the New York Giants.  Carson is currently CEO and President of Harry Carson Inc. a Sports Consulting and Promotions Company and serves as Executive Director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance.   

This is an interactive program and is limited to six schools at each time slot and unlimited view only. Test connections will take place on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 10:00 AM ET.  The program is designed for grades 6th-12th and is FREE of charge. These spots will fill quickly so act fast.

For more information or if you are interested in registering, please contact our Education Department atEducationalPrograms@profootballhof.com.

9-12 BioMedTech: STEM “Health and Wellness Research, From the Bench to the Bedside”

Discover how local experts are engaging community research to better understand risks for
diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease and to improve health within neighborhoods.

University Hospitals (Cleveland) is one of the nation’s leading health care systems
providing high-quality, patient-centered medical care at locations throughout Northeast
Ohio. Committed to advanced care and advanced caring, University Hospitals offers the
region's largest network of primary care physicians, outpatient centers and hospitals.
The System also includes a network of specialty care physicians, skilled nursing, elder
health, rehabilitation and home care services, managed care and insurance programs,
occupational health and wellness, and the most comprehensive behavioral health services
in the region.


Topic: “Community Research”

Presenter: Jessica Kelley-Moore, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology,
Case Western Reserve University


Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012

Audience: Recommended for learners in Grades 7-12, the BioMedTech Distance Learning Series is designed to stimulate interest in biomedical technology and engineering careers and foster an appreciation and understanding of regionally developed medical advances. Aligned with the Ohio Department of Education Science, Mathematics, and Technology Content Standards and the National Science Education Standards, each program will emphasize biomedical technology and engineering careers, scientific processes, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content.

Schools interested in participating in FREE this educational opportunity should contact John
Ramicone at 216-916-6360 or john.ramicone@ideastream.org by February 22nd.

Time: 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. (EST))

High School and Middle School

FREE “Recognizing Teen Depression and Preventing Suicide”

One in five high school students seriously consider suicide— the second cause of death for
Ohio teens. Eight percent of teens actually attempt suicide during their high school years.

Suicide Prevention Education Alliance (SPEA) teaches teens to be the “first line of defense” in
preventing suicide with its proven program, Recognizing Teen Depression and Preventing Suicide,
which is now delivered in 112 high schools to 15,000 teens per year. Many teens like TW come
forward to our professional instructors to report symptoms of depressive illness or thoughts of
suicide. As a result of our program delivery in TW’s school, he is receiving the help that he so
desperately needs.

Teens tell a friend when they have a plan for suicide…they seldom tell a teacher, guidance counselor
or school nurse. Too often, teens keep a code of silence about a friend’s depressive illness or suicide
plan. Through this special program, SPEA will teach young people to: Understand that the main
cause of suicide is untreated mental illness, most often depression; Understand that depression is a
treatable brain illness; Realize there is no reason for shame or stigma; Recognize the symptoms of
depression in themselves and others; Utilize resources to get help from a mental health professional;
Never maintain a secret about a person’s symptoms of depression or thoughts of suicide; Employ
their knowledge to help save lives, now and throughout their lifetime.

This session will be interactive, allowing viewers and attendees to participate via question and email.
Do not miss this opportunity to empower your students to help save lives.

Presenters:

Suicide Prevention Education Alliance (SPEA) Staff and
Volunteers

Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Time: 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Transmission Modes: NOTA and eTech/Ohio State IP Networks

Schools interested in participating in this FREE educational opportunity, via a
distance learning connection, should contact John Ramicone at 216.916.6360 or
john.ramicone@ideastream.org by February 23rd.

(FREE VC) Cleveland Browns teams with Pro Football Hall of Fame

On Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 the Cleveland Browns will be hosting a panel discussion in recognition of Black History Month.  The discussion, “Personal Reflections: The Positive Effects of Football on Racial Equality,” will be moderated by Pro Football Hall of Fame President/Executive Director, Steve Perry.  The panel will include Cleveland Browns alumni: Walter Beach, John Wooten, Dick Schafrath, Reggie Rucker and Sam Tidmore. The event will include individual introductions and reflections along with a question and answer portion and is scheduled to run one hour.

The Browns are teaming up with the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Educational Outreach Program to bring this program to students nationwide via video conference. The video conference session, for grades 6th-12th, is being offered as “limited interactive” and free of charge.  This session will fill quickly, so make sure to take advantage of this wonderful educational opportunity and register your school today.  For more information or to schedule your connection, contact us at EducationalPrograms@ProFootballHOF.com.

FREE: The Pro Football Hall of Fame Black History Month seminar

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is proud to once again present our annual Black History Month seminar on Wednesday, February 22 and Thursday, February 23. Two sessions on each day will run from 9:15 AM to 10:30 AM and 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM.

This year's seminar will feature Hall of Fame teammates Len Dawson and Bobby Bell. Dawson, a quarterback and Super Bowl MVP, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Bell, a standout linebacker/defensive end, was inducted in 1983. Both men played with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 1960s when they won Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs received notoriety as the first pro football team to fill more than half of its roster with African American players.  Don't miss out on this unique educational seminar as Dawson and Bell share their unique stories about this historic moment in professional football history as well as other life events on and off the football field.

The videoconference sessions, for grades 6^th-12^th, are being offered as “limited interactive” and free of charge.  These sessions will fill quickly, so make sure to take advantage of this wonderful educational opportunity and book your school for one of the four sessions offered. For more information or to schedule your visit, contact us atEducationalPrograms@ProFootballHOF.com.

Free to NORT2H Members "American Exceptionalism” Is America Still a Land of Opportunity?

Our next Town Hall Speaker’s Program guest is the best-selling author and radio talk-show host Larry Elder who has a take-no-prisoners style, using such old-fashioned things as evidence and logic. Mr. Elder shines the bright light of reasoned analysis on many of the myths and hypocrisies apparent in our system of government, our society, and the media itself. He slays dragons and topples sacred cows using facts, common sense and a ready wit.

Join us on February 6^th for an extremely “educational enrichment” opportunity for your students.  Please share this information with your Business, English, Theater/Drama and Social Studies teachers and students.

Town Hall  of Cleveland Speaker Series 2011-12

Program:        Larry Elder

Topic:"American Exceptionalism”

Is America Still a Land of Opportunity?

Date: Monday, February 6, 2012            

Time:               1:00-2:00 p.m.

• Best-selling author and radio talk-show host
• Nationally syndicated newspaper columnist
• Books include The 10 Things You Can't Say in America, Showdown: Confronting Bias, Lies and the Special Interests That Divide America, and What's Race Got to Do with It? Why it's Time to Stop the Stupidest Argument in America
• Television host of "Moral Court" and "The Larry Elder Show"
• Creator, producer and director of Michael & Me, a documentary which examines the use of guns in America

Transmission Modes:          NOTA and the eTech Ohio IP Network

Schools interested in participating in this educational opportunity should contact John Ramicone at 216-916-6360 or john.ramicone@ideastream.org by February 2nd. 

  

A program fee of $75.00 will be charged to schools not in the NOTA or NORT2H member districts.  Please process a purchase order to WVIZ/PBS Distance Learning, c/o John Ramicone, 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland 44115 and fax a copy or the p. o. number to 216-916-6361.

For additional information on Larry Elder please see: http://www.larryelder.com/f/about

John R. Ramicone

Distance Learning Director

john.ramicone@ideastream.org

t-216-916-6360

f-216-916-6361

Free Be an Interactive Site in the 9th Annual Megaconference Jr.event to be held on May 3, 2012

It's the 9th year of Megaconference Jr and this year's event promises to be even more collaborative, engaging and global than ever before. 

Happy 2012!! The new year brings a new Megaconference Jr. event with some really exciting changes including even more international sites this year than ever before -- so don't miss your opportunity to get involved! 

General Registration Now Open for Megaconference Jr. 2012

Don't miss this exciting opportunity on May 3, 2012 from 6am EDT to 6:00pm EDT (UTC -4) to interact with schools from around the world. The schedule of VJ Teams and content themes is now posted on the website. This is your students' chance to interact with VJ teams as an interactive presenting site around a particular content theme in front of a live global audience! 

This year's VJ Teams and content themes are: 

Exotic Presentations from Asia to America, led by National Dali High School, Taiwan - for students ages 12+

  2012 Olympic Games, led by Carpenter's Primary School, UK - for students ages 5-14

Here, There and Everywhere, led by Clyst St. Mary's Primary School, UK - for students ages 9-11

Student Collaborations: Creating World Music, led by Bolles School, Florida, USA - for students ages 12-17

Wonders!, led by Burghill School, Hereford, UK - for ages 9-13

E-medica, Ways To Learn Together, led by Secondary Medical School, Split, Croatia - for ages 12+

Improving the Health of our Waterways, led by Pennsylvania, USA - for ages 5-18

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, led by Weaver Lake, Minnesota, USA - for ages 9-11

... and more from Australia, New Zealand and other areas of the world!!! 

How to Register to Be a General Participant Site: Just one easy step!! 

1. Please go to: http://www.megaconferencejr.org and create your account to register as a general participant site or login with your existing account. (Note: If you registered last year, you may login using your username and password from last year. However please be sure to update your information by clicking on the links at the top of the form.) 

How to Submit an Interactive Presentation Proposal  

1. Please register for Megaconference Jr at  http://www.megaconferencejr.org (see paragraph above). 

2. Review the posted schedule using the "Schedule 2012" tab. All times are listed as UTC -4. To see what your local presenting time would be please use the Time Zone Converter at: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

3. If you would like to be an interactive site with one of the VJ teams and give a presentation related to that theme, go to the "Interactive Proposal Submission Form" tab at the top of the Megaconference Jr. website. Complete the form by selecting the VJ session of your choice under the "VJ Team" pull-down menu. When you have completed the other required fields, click "Submit". You will be notified of acceptance of your presentation by March 10, 2012. ** There are a limited number of interactive spots for each content theme time block so be sure to sign up your school to get involved ASAP. ** 

How to Be a View Only Site

Sites do not need to register if they only want to view the live webstream on the day of the event. Details on how to view the live stream will be posted closer to May 3, 2012. 

Timeline: 

General Registration Opens and Call for Interactive Proposals - January 18, 2012 

Deadline for Interactive Proposals - March 3, 2012

Notification of Proposal Acceptance - March 10, 2012

General Registration Closes - April 5, 2012 

Testing and Rehearsals - January through April 

Also, be sure to sign up for the Megaconference Jr. list-serv at to stay tuned for all the most recent announcements about this year's event. To subscribe, go to: http://www.megaconferencejr.org/content/contact-information

Join us sun up or sun down all around the world for the 9th Annual Megaconference Jr. global event.

Registration and More Details available at: http://www.megaconferencejr.org/ 

--

Jennifer Oxenford

Manager, Web & PR

Acting Manager, Educational Services

MAGPI

jmacdoug@magpi.net

Twitter - @magpik20

484-604-0831 (google voice)

215-898-0341 (office)

www.magpi.net

215-74MAGPI (215-746-2474)